14 Phoenix-area stores for Midcentury Modern furnishings

Design enthusiasts have long been fans of Midcentury Modern. And since the 2007 debut of the hit TV show "Mad Men," with its glamorous Midcentury offices and living rooms, the (younger) masses also have begun to recognize the look as timelessly chic.

In the Melrose District on Seventh Avenue in Phoenix, a hub of stores is emerging that specializes in all things Midcentury Modern, from coffee tables to credenzas.

In part, it's because the clean-lined furnishings of the 1950s and '60s still fit today in our more downsized, simplified, less ornate lives.

Plus, Midcentury Modern is just cool.

An iconic Saarinen "tulip" table remains elegantly modern; an Eames lounger is classic yet cozy. And unadorned Danish Modern dressers and sideboards often are reinterpreted or reissued because there's just something soothing about their lines.

"It's functional sculpture," said Jonathan Wayne, owner of Red Modern Furniture, which sells beautifully restored Midcentury Modern furniture in a two-story 1950s central-Phoenix storefront. "The quality of the materials far exceeds anything being made nowadays."

If you're new to the aesthetic or haven't explored the latest local haunts, check out this sampling of Valley stores that have the look:

1. Red Modern Furniture.

The restored Midcentury Modern pieces here are an investment. But the store's architecture (by Midcentury master Ralph Haver) and inspiring displays make it a must-see stop if Midcentury is your thing. Jonathan Wayne started the business 12 years ago; it has been in its current location for five. "I was a painter and a sculptor before all this," he said. "This kind of became my art."

A couple of years ago, as the economy was crashing, Wayne inked a deal with 1stdibs.com - a high-end design website that draws interior designers, architects and celebrity clients from around the world - to showcase his wares. He also has a showroom at the New York Design Center in conjunction with 1stdibs.com and sources pieces internationally. Red Modern boasts a full-time restoration staff, including a wood refinisher who restored Steinway pianos. For the casual Midcentury fan, Wayne says, "It's scary to some people the price points that we have, but we put so much time and effort and money into each piece."

Heidi and Doug Abrahamson bought this store two years ago, but they're hardly novices to Midcentury Modern. They were ahead of the trend in the late 1990s when they opened Eclectica in Mesa, which specialized in MCM furniture and accessories. "It's pretty hot right now - especially in central Phoenix," Doug Abrahamson said of the aesthetic. "A lot of this furniture is scaled for these homes." Phoenix Metro Retro is well-known locally and to antiques dealers in Chicago and LA. The store carries a good selection of Midcentury furniture, lamps and accessories, and even some new works by local artists.

Next door to Phoenix Metro Retro is an antiques market whose main entrance is on Seventh Avenue. The store, owned by Allen Parker (he also owns 3rd Street Antique Mall in Phoenix), opened March 1, and several of its two-dozen dealers have an affinity for Midcentury Modern. "I saw the building and thought it would be a really neat place to have a store," said Parker. You'll find Midcentury desks, lighting and chairs here, plus a smattering of dishware and accessories from the era.

Details: 4610 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-248-4405.

4. Go-Kat-Go and Bo's Funky Stuff.

Brandi Kvetko and her father, Bo Kvetko, share a storefront in the Melrose shopping district filled with most everything from Midcentury Modern furniture and lighting to vintage advertisements to tiki collections. Brandi Kvetko said there seems to be an increased interest lately in Danish Modern pieces. "I've noticed people are really mixing eras now," she said, adding that her father is the Midcentury buyer and has gained a following from furniture dealers on both coasts.

Indigo Nielsen is the self- described "head wrangler" of this shop, which carries Midcentury furniture and home accessories as well as vintage clothing. Jack Kobey, who specializes in men's vintage clothes at Retro Ranch, said he lately has been seeing more interest in vintage industrial pieces, from filing cabinets and lockers to metal desks. Retro Ranch carries dining sets and seating in addition to all sorts of vintage modern furnishings, dishware and accessories.

Stace Robbins, owner of Antiques on Camelback, is still getting used to calling 1950s and '60s furnishings "antiques." Even so, she has one dealer who specializes in Midcentury lighting and furniture, and among the more than 30 vendors, there are sprinklings of Midcentury ceramics, glassware and other gems. Antique or no, Robbins says Midcentury is in demand. "It's so popular now we have trouble keeping it in when we get it," she said.

Details: 4955 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-489-7357.

7. Antique Trove.

The Antique Trove, in business since 1989, boasts more than 120 vendors in its 23,000-square-foot space. Four or five vendors specialize in Midcentury Modern furnishings, and several others have a smattering of items from the era. Antique Trove cashier Marty Webb said Midcentury is a big trend among younger customers. "Those of us who lived through it don't want to go back there," Webb said, "but it is a major trend for the younger set."

Details: 2020 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-947-6074.

8. Scottsdale Marketplace. This 16,500-square-foot home-and-garden store boasts 38 vendors. Owner Chitti Kang said one of his vendors who specializes in Midcentury furniture, lighting and accessories recently moved to a larger space in the 8-year-old store.

For the newest takes on Midcentury and Danish Modern, this local family-run business is filled with still-produced, reissued and reinterpreted Midcentury furniture and furnishings, plus some contemporary pieces from Italy. It's worth a stop at the Phoenix store to check out the 1950s building, designed by noted Midcentury architect Ralph Haver. The store, owned by Erik Hansen, serves as the headquarters of the six-store chain, which includes stores in Scottsdale and Tempe, as well as two in Texas.

his 1,000-square-foot store in downtown Scottsdale opened in 2004 and has a website with a national reach. In March, owner Marcel T. Fouz moved from Goldwater Boulevard to a space in the Optima Camelview Village development. Fouz carries new high-end modern furnishings and some reproduced modern classics.

This 7,500-square-foot Scottsdale store sells modern designer furnishings for residential and commercial use. It also sells many reinterpreted or still- produced modern classics, from the Arco lamp to Eames loungers to Saarinen womb chairs.

Modern Manor moved next door to Phoenix Metro Retro in the Melrose District after Doug Abrahamson called to tell owners Kylie and Ryan Durkin about the building. The Durkins previously had a booth at the Antique Trove in Scottsdale. Back then, it was a sideline business that grew while they were furnishing their condo. Today, it's a passion, and their stock fills a huge warehouse. Modern Manor specializes in vintage modern and industrial furniture (vintage industrial pieces are another big trend). The Durkins find most of their inventory in Arizona through estate sales and auctions. Local restaurants, including Postino and Gallo Blanco in the Clarendon Hotel, also have discovered their wares. Doug Alvarez, who owned DA's Modern, also sells his Midcentury pieces here. "Phoenix boomed in the '50s and '60s," said Ryan Durkin, who also runs a screen-printing business called Retro Fashions. "There's a lot of this stuff here."